Magazine-type photoelectric sound reproducer



April 5, 1949. F. H. OWENS MAGAZINE-TYPE PHOTOELECTRIC SOUND REPRODUCER 3 Sheets-Sheet l 'IIIIIIIIIIIIl/I/ rl llL HH I Filed July 14, 1943 INVENTOR. 6177][. wens flfiorm fs A ril 5, 1949. F. H. OWEN S 2,466,124

MAGAZINE-TYPE PHOTOELECTRIC SOUND REPRUDUCER Filed July 14, 1943 Fig.5-

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Freeman Owens A ril 5', 1949. F. H. OWENS 2,466,124

MAGAZINE-TYPE PHOTOELECTRIC SOUND REPRODUCER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July l4, 1945 IN VEN TOR. Fre eman If. Owens Patented Apr. 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MAGAZINE-TYPE PHOTOELECTRIC SOUND REPRODUCER Freeman H. Owens, New York, N. Y.

Application July 14, 1943, Serial No. 494,605

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a sound reproducer and has special reference to the provision of a combined disc record and film record phonograph or sound reproducer, especially designed for home use.

The prime object of my present invention centers about the provision of a sound reproducing machine designed to be used with either the usual disc type of phonograph record or with a film type of sound record, i. e., a film having a sound record photographically recorded thereon.

In carrying out the prime object, it is the main desideratum of the invention to provide a combined reproducing machine in which the disc record turntable and its drive and the film record operating mechanism and its optical sytem are combined in a most simple manner and for optimum service and usefulness.

To the accomplishment of this main object and the other objects hereinafter set forth, my invention relates to the combined disc record and film record reproducing machine, the elements thereof and their relation one to the other, as hereinafter more particularly described in the specification and sought to be defined in the lclaims. The specification is accompanied by drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the combined disc record and film record sound reproducer with parts broken away to show part of the interior construction thereof;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view thereof taken in cross-section along the broken line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view thereof taken largely in crosssection in the plane of the line 4-"4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of part of the film driving mechanism and optical system for the film record reproducer;

Fig. 6 is a top View with parts shown in section of part of said optical sytem embodying certain modifications;

Fig. '7 is a rear elevational view of the reproducer featuring fragmentarily the part of the optical sytem shown in Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a view of Fig. '7 taken in cross-section in the plane of the line 8--8 of Fig. 7.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings and having reference first to Figs. 1 to 4 thereof, the sound reproducer of my present invention comprises in its broad essence a disc record reproducer generally designated as A and a film record reproducer generally designated as B arranged therebeneath, both operatable from the.

same power source such as the motor generally designated as C. The disc record reproducer A is designed along conventional lines to include the usual turntable t driven from the motor C as bymeans of a rim driving mechanism 1. The film record sound reproducer B is organized and coordinated with the disc record reproducer A in a manner to provide a combined disc record and film record reproducing machine offering all of the constructional and operational advantages to be described hereinafter.

The disc record reproducer part of the combination comprises a conventional form of turntable '15 for receiving the disc records, mountable on a central spindle it arranged to rotate with the turntable t in a ball bearing support l2 (see Fig. 4), the stationary bearing of which is fixed as by means of the screws 54 to a main horizontally disposed supporting plate H6. The motor C, pendently supported from the supporting plate l6 by means of the motor bracket it which may be adjustably (rotatably) mounted in the supporting stud 20, is connected to the turntable t by means of the said rim driving mechanism 1'.

This rim driving mechanism preferably comprises a friction wheel rotatably mounted on the free end of an arm 21; hinged at 26 in a stud bracket 28 fixed to the support M3, the said arm and the wheel 22 mounted therein being urged by the spring 39 to turntable rim engaging position, as best shown inv Fig. l of the drawings. Fixed'ly attached to the wheel 22 or to its shaft 32 is the flanged wheel M the flanges of which are engaged by a wheel 35 which is keyed or otherwise fixed to the shaft 38 of the motor C. The motor C may be adjusted about its supporting stud 20 to vary the engagement position of the wheel 36 with the flanged wheel 34 to predetermine the speed of rotation of the turntable t. When the motor is energized, the wheels 36, 34 and 22 and the driven turntable t rotate in the directions indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1 of the drawings. This disc sound reproducer may be employed with any approved type of reproducer arm and sound amplifying system.

The essential parts of the film record sound reproducer comprise the operating mechanism for the sound record film and the optical system therefor. Both the operating mechanism and the optical system are supported by the main supporting plate it in such a way that the parts required to be normally accessible are located above the supporting plate it and the parts not required to be normally accessible are located below the supporting plate to, which latter, together with the supporting plate, are arranged so as to be capable of being housed in a suitable casing or cabinet flit (see Fig. 2) The main component parts of the fiim record reproducer may be said to comprise the film magazine in containing the film record 1, a driving means for the film record which includes a drive wheel D which is peripherally engaged by the film I (see particularly Fig. 5) and an optical system for translating the photographic sound record on the film into electrical pulsations for producing the audible response, the said optical system 0 comprising an exciter portion E located on one side of the film and a reproducer portion R located on the other side of the film.

The magazine m, comprising a split or twopart casing having the top half 42 and the bottom half M, is provided with two spools, 46 and 45 (receivable in registering magazine openings), either spool serving as the take-up or the supply spool. In the operation shown, spool 45 is the take-up spool and spool 66 is the supply spool containing a film supply reel 48. Mounted in the magazine is an arcuate shaped guide arm pivotally mounted as at 52 behind a magazine opening 54. The guide arm 58 is provided at its opposite ends with the film guide rolls 55 and 58 (see Fig. 1). The spools 46 and 45' are cored and thus open at their opposite ends (see Fig. 3). Between the spools 46 and 66, the magazine m is provided with the registering o enings 60, 60 (see Fig. 4). This magazine is adapted to be used with a film f having two longitudinal film records 8 and 3 (see Fig. 5) whereby the magazine may be used without the necessity of rewinding the film. During the operation shown in the drawings, the film f moving in the direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 1) is supplied from the supply reel 48 and is wound or reeled on the take-up spool 46. During this operation the record 8' is played. When this is finished, the magazine 172, after being removed from the machine, is turned over (so that the top half 42 is now at the bottom), the spool 46' now becoming the take-up spool and the record s being now in a position to be reproduced. As the film is drawn in either case and thereby tensioned by the take-up spool, it acts against the guide roller 56 to cause the guide arm 5D to move towards the drive wheel D to peripherally engage this guide wheel for driving cont-act of the film f therebetween.

The means for propelling the film 7 comprises the said driving wheel D and a coupling member 62 movable into engagement with the take-up spool 46 for driving the latter. The machine is so constructed that the magazine m may be moved into and out of operative position by simply sliding the magazine in a support provided therefor. When the magazine m is slid into its operative position, the driving wheel D enters the magazine opening 54 and the film in the magazine is caused to be engaged between the driving wheel D and the guide arm 50. The coupling member 62 is then moved into the core of the take-up spool 46 and thus into driving position as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The support for the magazine comprises simply the two rails =54, 64 and the two guiding side pins 66, 56 fixed to the plate support I6. When moved into its. operative position, the magazine m is locked in such position by means of the coupling member 62 and also by means of a part of the optical system which is moved into the registering openings Si), 6r. in the magazine (see Fig. 4), all as will be further described hereinafter.

The film driving wheel D comprises simply a sparent member such as a glass annulus, which is fixed or secured to the turntable spindle ill and, therefore, is actuated thereby or is retated by and with the turntable t. This drive wheel D, as will be seen presently, comprises part of the optical system 0, the light being transmittable therethrough and through the film 1 engaged and driven thereby from the exciter portion E to the reproducer portion R of the optical system. As the film driving member, it, therefore, comprises a simple and single driving wheel connected directly to be driven from the turntable. Besides thus producing an exceedingly simple drive for the sound film, it is associated with the turntable so that the turntable acts as a fiy wheel therefor, thus producing a smooth and steadied propelling of the sound film. This drive wheel D also functions effectively as part of the optical system of the machine. Its combined action as a drive wheel and as part of the optical system is depicted Fig. 5 of the drawings; and its combined drive and fly wheel association with the turntable t is best depicted in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The exciter portion E of the optical system comprises the means for projecting a beam of light towards one side of the film ;f for transmission through said film and the transparent drive wheel D. This comprises the source of illumination 63, the condensing lens system Hi, the reflector i2 and the reflecting prism 14- arranged in optical sequence. The source of illumination or lamp es and the condensing lens system it are mounted (with the usual adjustments for these elements) in a bracket 15 pendently secured to the main supporting plate H5. The reflector l2 and the reflecting prism M are mounted at the opposite ends of telescoping tubes 18 and 8B which are movable vertically as a unit from an ascended operative position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to a descended position where the tube 89 clears the magazine m. In the operative position depicted in the drawings, light is transmitted from the lamp 5-8 to and through the film f and the transparent drive wheel D.

'ihe reproducing portion R of the optical system 0 comprises an optical mount (12 pcnclently secured centrally at M as by means of the screws 86 to the main supporting plate It. Within the centrally locai part of this mount 82 and a registering opening in the central plate part 84 is arranged a lens mount 38 containing the reflecting prism 9i] and the lens system 92. At the bottom of the mount '32 is provided the reflector M, the outer end thereof (see Figs. 1 and 2) is located the photo-electric cell 98 of the systez'n. Therefore, light transmitted through the film f are transparent drive wheel D to the center or axis of the drive wheel is reflected and projected so as to become incident upon the photo electric cell 98, which latter is connected, as is custoirzary systems of this character, to an amplifying and loud speaker system.

The talie-up spool coupling member 62 is connected to be driven from the motor C by means of a coupling member shaft Hi0 rotatably mounted in a movable bearing 102, a shaft 104 mounted in a stud or hearing M5 (which may be formed as part of the main support I6), a fieXible connection or shaft Hi8 uniting the ends of shafts it?) and 5134, a flanged wheel H0 fixed to the upper end of the shaft I M and a driving wheel H2 geared to the flanged wheel and fixed to the shaft 32. By means of this gearing connection the take-up wheel coupling member 62 will be driven at the required reduced speed when the motor C is energized to rotate the turntable t and the driving wheel D.

The vertical movement of the coupling member 62 and the reflector mount 18, 80 of the exciter system E into and out of operative position (with relation to the magazine m) is accomplished by any suitable mechanism manually operable at a convenient location. The mechanism which I provide eifects the simultaneous movement of both the coupling member 52 and the reflector mount I8, 80. These are operated by moving a manually operable arm or handle H4 mounted centrally on the support I6 between the on and off positions indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

This result is accomplished by mounting both the coupling bearing I02 and the reflector mount 18, 8!] on a parallel lever structure and by conmeeting this lever structure to the manually operable handle H4. This parallel lever structure comprises the four levers H5, H8, I and I22 displaced horizontally and vertically, the outer ends of which are fulcrumed as at I24 to a supporting bracket I26 (see particularly Figs. 1 and 2) the inner ends of which are connected by means of the pins I28 to the reflector mount 18 (see particularly Fig. 4) and the medial portions of which are connected by means of the screws I30 to the coupling member bearing I02 (see particularly Fig. 3). When this parallelogrammatic system of levers is operated (moved upwardly and downwardly) it will be obvious that the coupling member 52 and the reflector mount I8, 80 will be simultaneously caused to ascend or descend as the case may be. This system of levers is actuated by means of another set of parallel levers I32 and IM anchored o-r fulcrumed as at I36 to the bracket I38, the outer or bifurcated ends Hit of which are received by an eX- tension 82 of one of the screws I extending from the movable bearing I92. These levers I32 and I34 are provided medially thereof with a pair of cam followers I44 which cooperate with a rotatable cam member I46 fixed to a shaft [48 to which the handle I I4 is keyed. Upon rotative movement of the handle H4, the cam I46 is rotated permitting the cam followers I44 to move between the high and low points of the cam (see Fig. 4). This causes the levers I32 and I34 to ascend and descend between limiting positions, and in turn causes the operation of the parallelogrammatic lever system for acuating the coupling member 62 and the reflector mount I8. 80.

By means of this recited construction, when it is desired to charge the machine with a film containing magazine, the handle H4 is moved to the 01f position if it is not already in that position. This moves the coupling member 62 and the reflector mount I8, $0 to a descended position permitting a film holding magazine m to be slid in its support into the operative position. The handle H4 is then moved to the on position and thereby the coupling member 62 and the reflector mount I3, 80 is caused to ascend into the positions shown best in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. The coupling member 62 is thereby coupled to the take-up spool 46 and the reflector mount 89 is thereby moved to a point within the magazine m for completing the optical part best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The optical reproducing system thus comprises an exciter portion E on the outside of the transparent film drive wheel D and the film f and a reproducing portion R on the inside thereof, operative to transmit light from the exciter side to the reproducer side of the optical system through the transparent wheel and the film record in peripheral engagement therewith. A simplified and highly efiicient optical system 00- ordinated with the driving system is thus produced. A very convenient and workable arrangement is provided for by this means of an exciter optical system, a part of which is arranged at a point within the magazine or is arranged to be moved into and out of the magazine, and a reproducer optical system arranged fixedly centrally of the drive wheel and thereby at a point on the inside of the film and the drive wheel. Light is thus transmitted from the eXciter to the reproducer portion of the optical system through said film said drive wheel and between points within the magazine and within the drive wheel. A further feature of this simple combination is the arrangement whereby the coupling member and a part of the optical system are movable into the magazine serving as a means for fixedly locating and for locking the magazine in its operative position.

In Figs. 6 to 8 of the drawings, I show parts of the optical system with certain modifications exemplifying simple mechanism for adjusting the optical parts. Here the turntable t mounted on its spindle Ill rotates in the ball bearing I2; and the spindle i6 has attached thereto the transparent film driving wheel D, which latter is peripherally engaged by the film f in the magazine 1-?3' to drive said film. The reproducing portion R of the optical system 0 comprises the mount 82' provided with the centrally arranged optical mount 88, the reflector 94 and the photo-sensitive cell unit 93'. These are constructed to enable simple and rapid optical adjustments to be made. Instead of the lens and reflector media in the optical mount 88 of the first described modification, I provide in this mount 88' a combined lens and reflector I50. The mount 8% therefore comprises a tube telescopically supported in the mount 82', the said tube being provided with an elongated slot I52 and an opening E54 opposite thereto. Projecting into the slot E52 is a pin I56 (knobbed at its outer end) seated eccentrically in a screw I58. Projecting into the opening I54 is a similar pin I60 similarly eccentrically seated in a screw I62. These screws I58 and I162 may be locked in adjusted positions by means of an annular plate I 64 and the screws I56. When the annular plates are loosened, the screw E58 may be rotated to incrementally move the mount 88 about a vertical axis and the screw I52 may be rotated to move the same incrementally about a horizontal axis, thus critically adjusting the lens mount. When a suitable point of adjustment is reached, the annular plates ltd are tightened. The reflector 94', which may be made so that the screw I 68 is integral therewith, may be adjusted by means of rotation of said screw, which latter is also clamped or secured in adjusted position by means of a similar plate such as Ill The photosensitive cell 98' may be adjusted by mechanism similar to that used for the mount 88 and this mechanism, best shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, is indicated by similar but primed reference characters.

The combined disc record and film record reproducing machine of my present invention, the

operation thereof and the many structural and operational advantages will in the main be fully apparent from the above detailed description thereof.

A number of the more important of these functional and structural advantages are as follows:

(1) The turntable i may be used for disc records after the manner of the ordinary conventional disc record machine. The optical system at this time is not energized. The driving wheel D and the geared connection to the coupling member 62 remains connected to the motor C and the turntable 15, but offers no retarding load of any kind to the operation of the turntable.

(2) When it is desired to use the machine for a film record, the magazine in is merely slid into operative position and the handle ti l is moved to its on position. The operating mechanism for the film in the magazine and the optical system for sound reproduction are thus placed in the operative positions shown in the drawings. When the motor C is energized, playing repro duction takes place. The turntable 11" rotates as before and serves as a fly wheel for the operating mechanism (the drive wheel D and the coupling member 62) for the sound film, thus producing the desired steadied and uniform film movement and resulting sound effect. When the end of the film is reached, the machine is stopped, the handle ti l moved to the oil position and the magazine is removed from the machine.

(3) A very efficient and simple drive mechanism for the film is produced.

(4) A simple and efficient optical system for the sound film is provided which utilizes as a part thereof the drive wheel D. As a feature in producing the simplifi d optical system, light is transmitted from the catcher side of the optical system at a point within the magazine and on one side of the transparent drive wheel D and the film f in peripheral engagement therewith to a point on the other side of the drive wheel and film and preferably centrally within the drive wheel.

(5) The parts are so coordinated that the coupling member 62 and part of the exciter portion of the optical system when moved into operative position define means for holding and locking the magazine m in operative position.

(6) The film record reproducer is so located relative to the disc record reproducer and the operating mechanism for both is so organized as to produce a highly convenient arrangement of the parts, one which permits ease of assembly and facili of access and operation and a combination which is very compact. The arrangement, moreover, enables all of the working parts to be housed in a suitable cabinet, leaving only accessible the turntable t, the support for the magazine m and the operating hande li t.

(7) The optical system so organized also permits the parts thereof to be adjusted with ease and by simplified mechanism.

Other advantages will be apparent from the above detailed description of the machine. it will also be obvious that many changes be made in the apparatus without departing from the spirit of the invention defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A film record sound reproducer comprising a transparent filrn d. e Wheel, a support for a film sound record magazine, a film sound record magazine removably receivable by said support and arrange-able so that the film therein engages the periphery of the film drive Wheel, and an optical reproducer system comprising an exciter portion and a reproducer portion, one of aid portions being arranged to be movable into and out of the magazine on the outside of the film and drive wheel and the other of said portions being fixedly arranged centrally of said drive wheel and thereby on the inside of said film and drive wheel, light eing transmitted from the exciter to the reproducer portion through said film and drive wheel and between points Within the magazine and within the drive wheel.

2. A film record sound reproducer comprising a transparent film drive wheel, a driving means therefor, a sound record magazine arranged so that the film therein engages the periphery of the film drive wheel, the said magazine being provided with a supply reel and a take-up reel, an optical reproducer system comprising an exciter portion and a rcproducer portion, one of said portions arrangeable within the magne on the outside of the film and drive wheel of said portions being arranged id drive wheel and thereby on the 1 inside of transmitted from the exciter to the reproducer portion through said film and drive Wheel and between 1?- iuS v "iin the magazine and Within the c '"e eel, and means conn cting said driving means with the tale-up reel in the magazine.

3. A film record sound reproducer comprising a traisparent film drive wheel, a support for a film sound record magazine, a film sound record magazine removabl Y receivable by said support and arranges-hie so that the film therein engages the per cry of the drive wheel, and an optical rcpicducer system comprising an exciter portion and a rcproducer portion, the eitciter portion being arranged to be movable into and out of the magazine on the outside of the film and drive wheel and reproducer p rtion being fixedly arranged centrally of said drive wheel and thereby on the inside of said film and drive wheel, light being transmitted from the exciter to the reproportion th ugh said film and drive wheel and betteen nits within the magazine and within the drive wheel.

4. A film record sound reproducer comprising a transparent film drive wheel, a driving means therefor, a support for a film sound record maga film sound record magazine removably receivable by sai support and arrangeable so that the film therein engages the periphery of the film drive wheel, and an optical reproducer system. comprising an exciter portion and a reproduce-r portion, one of said portions being arranged to be movable into and out of the magaon the outside of he film drive wheel and other of portions .ag arranged centrally of said drive Wheel and thereby on the inside of said film and drive wheel, light being t lt'tod from the cizciter to the reproducer portion through said film and drive wheel and between points within the magazine and within the drive wheel, means also movable into and out of the magazine connecti driving means with the ma azine take-up reel, said movable means and reproducer portion being movable out of the magazi when the magazine is to be moved relatively to its support.

A film record sound reproducer comprising a transparent film drive wheel, a film record magazine arranged so that the film therein engages the periphery of the film drive wheel, and an optical reproducer system comprising an exciter portion and a reproducer portion, one of said portions being arranged within the magazine on one side of the film and drive wheel and the other of said portions being arranged on the other side of the film and drive wheel, light being transmitted from the exciter portion to the reproduoer portion through said film and drive wheel and between points including a point within the magazine.

6. The film record sound reproducer of claim in which the magazine is movable to and from the film drive wheel, and the optical reproducer portion arranged within the magazine is movable into and out of the magazine.

'7. A film record sound reproducer comprising a support for a film sound record magazine, a film sound record magazine removabiy receivable by said support, and an optical reproducer system including an optical portion arrangeable within the magazine and an optical portion ar rangeable outside the magazine, light being thereby transmittable through the film in the magazine between a point within the magazine to a point outside the magazine.

8. The film record sound reproducer of claim "I in which the said optical portion is movable into and out of the magazine.

9. A film record sound reproducer comprising a transparent film drive wheel, a film sound record magazine arranged so that the film therein engages the periphery of the film drive wheel, and an optical reproducer system comprising an exciter portion and a reproducer portion, one of said portions being arranged within the magazine on the outside of the film and drive wheel and the other of said portions being arranged cen trally of said drive wheel and thereby on the inside of said film and drive wheel, light being transmitted from the exciter to the reproducer portion through said film and drive wheel and between points within the magazine and within the drive wheel.

10. A film record sound reproducer comprising a support for a film sound record magazine, a film driving wheel, a film sound record magazine slidable into and out of said support and into position for the film therein to peripherally engage said driving wheel, a supply reel and a takeup reel in said magazine, and drive means for the take-up reel including a coupling member movable into and out of said magazine, the coupling member being movable out of the magazine when the magazine is to be moved in its support, and when movable into the magazine serving as a neans or locking the magazine in operative position.

11. A film record sound reproducer comprising a support for a film sound record magazine, a film driving wheel, a film sound record magazine slidable into and out of said support and into position for the film therein to peripherally engage said wheel, a supply reel and a take-up reel in said magazine, drive means for the take-up reel including a coupling member movable into and out of said magazine, an optical reproducer system including a portion movable into and out of the magazine, the coupling member and said reproducer portion being movable out of the magazine when the magazine is to be moved in its support, and the same when moved into the magazine serving as a means for locking the magazine in operative position.

12. In the combination of claim 11, manually operable means for simultaneously moving the coupling member and the said reproducer portion.

FREEMAN H. OWENS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,618,117 Tschopp Feb. 15, 1927 1,735,335 Owens Nov. 12, 1929 1,952,809 Kuchenrneister Mar. 2'7, 1934 2,002,352 Owens May 21, 1935 2,996,805 Hickman Oct. 26, 1937 2,169,013 "Wittel Aug. 8, 1939 2,178,244 Sachtleben Oct. 31, 1939 2,23%,697 Hickman Mar. 11, 1941 2,242,548 Regan May 20, 1941 2,25%,478 Fodor Sept. 2, 1941 2,308,015 McLeod Jan. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 319,592 Great Britain Dec. 23, 1930 

